Sunday, July 25, 2010

This summer, I worked on a writing piece that started with the blog posts I did about the Vermont City Marathon in May, turned into a much longer essay, and then redefined itself again into a shorter, more stream-lined piece about mental demons and running. You'll recognize a few sentences from the post-marathon blog posts.

And only a few of you know how much this really means to me, but the outcome of all that work is a collaboration with Kristina Pinto, aka Marathon Mama, who writes a blog for Competitor.com, a website that offers experts' advice on running, cycling and triathloning, as well as hosts blogs for some of the best athletes in each sport.

Kristina's is the first professional blog that I ever followed, and I've read every post of hers over the last few years. She is a running coach in Massachusetts whose writing career has taken some exciting turns; recently she was published in Runner's World and Women's Running Magazine. She's not only a badass runner, she's also hilarious, opinionated, gutsy, and unafraid to face her challenges with running in a way that benefits all of us. She's been an inspiration to me as a runner and a writer, so this is a very exciting day for me. If you don't already read her blog, you'll want to start today.

So well written. I give you an A+ and will maybe let you teach Creative Writing some day (whoops you already got that from me)! Seriously, loved the piece and am looking forward to more fun running together. You are awesome!

Awesome essay on running. I had never heard of the Acorn theory before... What you went through with your marathon reminds me of a podcast I listened to here (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2010/04/16) about the power of the brain. It's kind of long but worth listening to and I think you'll identify with it. The mind is a powerful, powerful thing - whether it's being kind to you or not ;)

Beautiful! I left a comment, or I thought I did, but in case it doesn't show up some time over there, here it is--it's long winded.

What an amazing essay--so honest and strong, it's humbling. It's funny to me sometimes to think that we met in person 100 years ago and have had these fleeting, occasional life intersections that cross years, state lines and groups of friends. In the last year and a half, your blog, your writing and your running inspired me into action!

Following your training for your first marathon you ran to honor your dad's fight with cancer lit one of the more notable candles of possibility in me--that I too could live healthfully for myself, for my kids and for the memory of my dad. A big part of what makes you so inspirational, Emilie, is your willingness to show these parts of yourself: strength, vulnerability, capability and emotion as you run and as you document your living! This essay captures the weights we carry in our most challenging moments. It captures the pure beauty of accomplishment--when our hearts push us forward even when our heads want to hold us back.

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"Love yourself, for who and what you are; protect your dream and develop your talent to the fullest extent. Don't lose sight of your goals. No matter what the obstacles are, don't let anything deter you from your best effort. Don't allow anyone to tell you what you can and cannot do. Be tough, be stubborn, love yourself, and find friends who believe in you."--Joan Benoit Samuelson